Torrie Reed (hardbitten) wrote in remains_rpg, @ 2017-01-30 14:16:00 |
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Torrie plucked at the strings on her guitar while she went back and forth on the phone call that she knew she should make. She had finished her last lesson, and was just winding down before she cleaned the room up and left for the day. Talking with Mina, and continuing to make goals had really started to make her think seriously about how she’d like to see Austin get reinvigorated as a music hub in the United States. Nina probably wasn’t the right person to contact first, but Torrie had some trepidation (for good reasons, she thought), and despite not really knowing Kevin’s sister that well, it still seemed like the right thing for her to do, rather than calling Capitol departments at random until she found the right one. TORRIE: Come on, Reed, don’t be such a fucking pussy. [she tells herself, then sets her guitar down to rifle for her phone. She hits dial before she can second guess herself.] NINA: [the caller ID isn't associated with anyone in her contacts list, but it's ringing on the phone whose number she doesn't typically give out so she only hesitates a few rings before she answers.] Hello? TORRIE: Hi, Nina. [she pauses, takes a breath.] It’s Torrie, Kevin’s friend. I was wondering if I could ask you something? [she rolls her eyes at herself because she thinks she sounds stupid.] NINA: Oh! [the surprise is clear in her voice, but it's friendly enough still.] Sure. Go ahead. TORRIE: Would you have any advice on who I should talk to about some of the abandoned music venues in the city? NINA: [there's a pause, at first, before she speaks.] You'd contact the office of Business Development. Or were you hoping for a specific contact in that department? TORRIE: probably both, actually. I don’t really want to end up talking to someone who’s not going to take me seriously. NINA: I'll text you my contact there. [there's the barest hint of curiosity in her tone.] TORRIE: I really appreciate that. It’s fucking nerve-wracking enough to consider re-opening a venue, it makes it a little easier if I know I probably won’t have to start by talking to some fu -- person that’s going to just put my request at the bottom of a stack of papers. [Nina’s contact might do that anyway, but she was trying to have some optimism.] NINA: [she can't help but laugh, though it's short-lived.] You seem a little skeptical that they'll accept your application. Using complete sentences is a good start to credibility; I've heard that they've received some pretty terrible applications. TORRIE: [she offers an aborted laugh in return.] Probably not that many from former drug-addicted Ghouls. I’m trying to keep my expectations low. [but there wasn’t any tone in her voice that would give the impression she felt sorry for herself. Facts were facts.] So I’m prepared if they decide to set up a few extra hoops. NINA: [dryly] Well, it's not as though you have to put it on your resume. TORRIE: Well, I wasn’t fucking sure if it was like a job application. You have to list that shit on those. [she still wasn’t sure how she had been allowed to teach actually.] I don’t fucking know what I’m doing, so thanks for the information. NINA: You're welcome. [she pauses, then adds:] What do you want to do with a music venue, in particular? TORRIE: I can’t be the only musician in Austin missing somewhere to perform. I want to open it back up for live music. [she doesn’t try to guess what that sounds like to Nina.] Give people back an outlet for doing creative shit, I guess. NINA: Well, we could certainly use some of that. [not that she knows from personal experience.] TORRIE: That’s what I thought. [she pauses.] I’ll let you go, though. You probably have other shit to do, but thanks for taking my call. NINA: Of course. Let me know how it goes, all right? TORRIE: Sure, okay. Bye. [Torrie waits another few seconds before she hangs up the phone. It had been a step out of her comfort zone to make the call, but she feels better about things now that she had.] |